Stocking exhibitor and tester



Aug. 10 1926. 1,595,515

P. R. HAMMES STOCKING EXHIBITOR AND TESTER Filed Feb. 13, 1926qualities.

Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

PETER R. HAMMES, OE DALLAS, TEXAS.

PATENT OFFICE.

STOCKINGEXHIBITOR AND TESTER.

Application filed. February 13, 1926. Serial No. 88,094;

This invention relates to a stocking exhibitor for use in demonstratingthe'wearing' qualities and appearance of stockings.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a form for exhibitingthe stocking in its distended condition. Another object is to providemeans for demonstrating the wearing ability of a stocking and itsfreedom from the formation of ruinous runs. A further object is theprovision of a stocking support for exhibiting purposes in which thestocking is exhibited under conditions of movement and strain toconvince the prospective customer of its wearing lVith these and otherobjects in view as will appear in the course of the followingspecification there has been represented one form of execution of thedevice on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device with a portion broken away toillustrate the moving elements.

. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the chain.

Fig. 4 is a detail view on a larger scale of the mechanism for drivingthe wriggling toe.

It will be understood that this invention is an amplification of themechanical demonstrating device upon which I have obtained United StatesLetters Patent No. 1,487,561 of March 18, 1924, and is preferably to beused in conjunction therewith. The device of the said patent related tomeans for moving or wriggling the toes of a form representing a wholefoot to demonstrate the properties of the stocking at that point. Thepresent device exhibits the full length of the stocking in distendedcondition and provides means for demonstrating the wearing quality ofthe stocking along the edge of the shin or forepart of the leg.

Referring to the drawings, the stocking form 10 is made of the sameshape as a human leg and at its bottom passes into the form of a foot 11which may have the movable toe portions 12 of the type set forth in myaforesaid patent. In the front edge of the leg, COIIGSPOIldiDg totheangle of the shin bone, a slot 13 is provided for substantially thelength of the shin, to receive the two sprocket wheels 14, 15, which'arewhich receivesa belt orchain 23 which passes over the sprocket 24., Thissprocket 24 .is mounted upon a shaft 25, and serves as in the aforesaidPatent 1,487,561 by means of the belt or chain- 25 to drive the I shaft26 which produces a movement of the toe portion of the structure. Theshaft 26 has a number of pins 12 to engage in tortuous grooves 12 in therear surface of the toe 12. The toe 12 is pivoted about the pin 12 inthe manner shown in my aforesaid patent.

A chain 27 passes over the respective sprockets 14 and 15 and is guidedbetween the walls' of the slot 13 so that it may move upwardly anddownwardly, and around these pulleys within this slot 13. As shown inFig. 3, the chain comprises alternately the pairs of links 28 and thesingle links 29 which are respectively joined together by the pivot pins30-. At intervals along the chain are provided the stretching cams 31which are fastened in the spaces between the double links by the pins32. These stretching cams extend beyond the surface of the form 10 andout of the slot 13, so that they come in contact with the inner surfaceof a stocking placed upon the form,

and as the chain is caused to move upwardly or downwardly at its frontportion, they bear against and cause a wear upon the stocking, and inthe event of a breakage in the knitted loops, will cause the'extensionof a run through the length of the garment.

In use, a stocking is stretched over the form in the usual manner, andthe clockwork is Wound up by means of the key 21. The device then beginsto operate, and the clockwork 19 drives the sprocket 14 and causes thechain 27 to be moved upwardly or downwardly and draw its cams againstthe inner surface of the stocking opposite the shin, thus stretching thesame and creating a wear upon the article. The lower shaft 16 and thesprocket 15 also permit the driving of the toe wriggling systemdescribed in my aforesaid patent, so that a very interesting exhibit ispresented, both from the point of view of having moving elements, and asactually demonstrating the Wearing qualities of the article exhibited.

Suitable guide members 33 to support the front portion of the chain maybe disposed from point to point Within the slots.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the specific formillustrated but may be modified Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garment exhibitor and tester comprising a form over Which thegarment may be stretchechnieans for exerting a further stretching eilectlocally upon the garment, and a mechanism to displace said means frompoint to point of said garment.

2. A stocking exhibitor and tester cornprising a leg-shaped form havinga slot along the length of the shin, a stretching means Within saidslot, and a mechanism to move said stretching means along said slot.

8. In a stocking exhibitor and tester, a leg-shaped form to receive thestocking therearound and having a slot extending along the shin, amotor, sprocket Wheels in said slot, a chain passing over said sprocketWheels, stretching cams on said chain, and driving connections wherebysaid motor may cause said chain to move said cam's along the length ofthe stocking.

4. In a stocking exhibitor and tester, a leg-shaped form having a footattachment with movable toes, a motor, a chain driven from said motorand adapted to be moved upward and downward Within said form, stretchingcams mounted on said chain and adapted to project beyond said form intocontact with the inner surface of a stocking thereon, and toe-movingmeans driven from said chain. v

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature. 7

PETER R. HAMMES.

